Opm module assembly with alignment and mounting components as used in a variety of headgear arrangements

Abstract

A headgear for magnetoencephalography includes a body defining a plurality of ports, where the body includes a first portion and a second portion; an adjustment mechanism coupled to the first portion and the second portion of the body and configured to adjust a separation between the first and second portion to facilitate fitting the headgear to a head of a user; and a plurality of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) modules, where each of the OPM modules includes at least one vapor cell and is configured to be removably inserted into a one of the ports of the body, where each of the OPM modules is configured for coupling to a light source for receiving light.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent of the United States is: 
     
         1 . A headgear for magnetoencephalography, the headgear comprising:
 a body defining a plurality of ports, wherein the body comprises a first portion and a second portion;   an adjustment mechanism coupled to the first portion and the second portion of the body and configured to adjust a separation between the first and second portion to facilitate fitting the headgear to a head of a user; and   a plurality of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) modules, wherein each of the OPM modules comprises at least one vapor cell and is configured to be removably inserted into a one of the ports of the body, wherein each of the OPM modules is configured for coupling to a light source for receiving light.   
     
     
         2 . The headgear of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of OPM modules is at least two OPM modules with at least one of the OPM modules disposed in the first section and at least another one of the OPM modules disposed in the second section. 
     
     
         3 . The headgear of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of OPM modules is at least ten OPM modules. 
     
     
         4 . The headgear of  claim 1 , further comprising a connection element coupled to the body for coupling the headgear to an arm. 
     
     
         5 . A magnetic field measurement system, comprising
 the headgear of  claim 1 ; and   at least one laser module coupleable to the OPM modules to provide the laser light.   
     
     
         6 . The magnetic field measurement system of  claim 5 , further comprising at least one sensor module coupleable to the OPM modules to receive output from the detector arrangement. 
     
     
         7 . The magnetic field measurement system of  claim 6 , further comprising at least one peripheral configured for input by a user of the magnetic field measurement system while the user wears the headgear. 
     
     
         8 . A headgear for magnetoencephalography, the headgear comprising:
 a body defining a plurality of ports; and   a plurality of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) modules, wherein each of the OPM modules comprises at least one vapor cell and is configured to be removably inserted into a one of the ports of the body, wherein each of the OPM modules is configured for coupling to a light source for receiving light and the OPM modules comprise, in total, at least  200  vapor cells.   
     
     
         9 . The headgear of  claim 8 , wherein the OPM modules comprise, in total, at least  256  vapor cells. 
     
     
         10 . The headgear of  claim 8 , wherein each of the OPM modules comprises at least six vapor cells. 
     
     
         11 . A magnetic field measurement system, comprising
 the headgear of  claim 8 ; and   at least one laser module coupleable to the OPM modules to provide the laser light.   
     
     
         12 . The magnetic field measurement system of  claim 11 , further comprising at least one sensor module coupleable to the OPM modules to receive output from the detector arrangement. 
     
     
         13 . The magnetic field measurement system of  claim 12 , further comprising at least one peripheral configured for input by a user of the magnetic field measurement system while the user wears the headgear. 
     
     
         14 . A headgear for magnetoencephalography, the headgear comprising:
 a body defining a plurality of ports;   a plurality of optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) modules, wherein each of the OPM modules comprises at least one vapor cell and is configured to be removably inserted into a one of the ports of the body, wherein each of the OPM modules is configured for coupling to a light source for receiving light; and   a plurality of sleeves, wherein each of the sleeves is configured to fit around a one of the OPM modules and configured to fit, with the OPM module, in a one of the ports and to fix the OPM module within the one of the ports.   
     
     
         15 . The headgear of  claim 14 , wherein each of the sleeves comprises at least one snap fit fixture configured to snap fit over a feature on the OMP module. 
     
     
         16 . The headgear of  claim 14 , wherein each of the sleeves comprises an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve that is movable relative to the inner sleeve. 
     
     
         17 . The headgear of  claim 16 , wherein the inner sleeve and the outer sleeve have complementary sets of detents that facilitate positioning the inner sleeve at different depths relative to the outer sleeve by matching the sets of detents. 
     
     
         18 . A magnetic field measurement system, comprising
 the headgear of  claim 14 ; and   at least one laser module coupleable to the OPM modules to provide the laser light.   
     
     
         19 . The magnetic field measurement system of  claim 18 , further comprising at least one sensor module coupleable to the OPM modules to receive output from the detector arrangement. 
     
     
         20 . The magnetic field measurement system of  claim 19 , further comprising at least one peripheral configured for input by a user of the magnetic field measurement system while the user wears the headgear.